Chapter 14 : The Tyrant's Tranquilizer 

Wusssh, the branch shook. The forest was screaming.

The black smoke surrounding the disaster became slime and fell to the ground. Dripping, black ma.s.ses crawled on the ground as if they were alive.

Tears welled up in Amelie's eyes. She's got gooseb.u.mps all over her body.

“Huh, uh…”

It's dangerous. Her animal instincts warned her.

'If you touch it, you'll die. My whole body will rot alive, I'll struggle in pain, and disappear without leaving a bone behind!'

“Argh—”

Amelie stepped back.

Tok.

The tree hit her back. Her retreat was blocked. In the meantime, the figure gradually shook off the black smoke and showed itself. Black hair was seen, fierce eyes, and a manly face was revealed. It was Serwin's face.

'It's not the Emperor—'

Serwin has cold golden eyes. But the man in front of her had emotionless black eyes. There was no tension or sadness at all.

It wasn't Serwin, it was the killer she saw in her dreams.

Amelie didn't say anything. Her mouth was tied up in fear and couldn't open.

[Witch, you're full of fear.]

The 'disaster' looked disappointed. The exaggerated expression was combined with the grandiose tone, making it even more creepy.

Screams echoed throughout the forest with the smell of rotting bodies. There was 'disaster' at the center of the gradually decaying forest. Everything alive is dying, but it's speaking and looking so indifferent.

Amelie couldn't laugh. Black mucus was spreading widely. Wherever it touched the leaves burned black. Like it was an epidemic.

[You don't have to be afraid.]

The disaster spoke kindly.

[Your blood and flesh will soon be mine.]

“What are you talking about—?”

It came slowly. At the same time, black smoke gathered as if to stifle Amelie's breathing. It got darker and darker in front of her and she couldn't breathe.

'I need to wake him up.'

Amelie closed her eyes and opened them.

'I have magic.'

It was only simple wind magic, but for some reason it worked to get rid of black smoke.

'Like in Serwin's room. That's all I have to do. It's just a simple gust of wind.'

Amelie comforted herself and raised the wind into a gale with her trembling hands. It was a strong gust of wind that made it hard to even keep her eyes open. Black smoke was quickly caught up in the wind and disappeared. The black mucus also dispersed. But the disaster stood indifferently, still in the body of the Emperor.

[Oh, you know how to use your brain]

Does it think she wanted a compliment right now?

Black smoke leaked from Serwin's body and wrapped around it. Then, a creepy laugh rang out again. Amelie shuddered.

It was simply a living disaster itself. She didn't know it could speak and think like a human being.

Amelie raised a weak wind and wrapped it around her body. It was to protect herself. The black smoke approaching Amelie hit the wind shroud and disappeared.

'Magic doesn't work! What should I do? What do we do now?'

Being wary of the disaster, she agonized over how to stop  it.

'—It's not enough to blow away the smoke. It's coming out again. The priority is to return the weakened seal to its original state, but I don't know how! How did the seal become so weak?'

At that time, she heard sounds coming from behind her. They were the knights of the Emperor. They quickly formed an offensive formation. Amelie was startled. To someone who didn't know the situation it looked like Amelie was being hurt by Serwin.

“Take your time and come to us. It's dangerous if you get close.”

Ethan said.

“Be as far away from His Majesty as possible. We'll attack and make a gap.”

What the knights were after was Serwin, not Amelie.

Amelie recalled that the knights reacted very seriously to the news that Serwin had disappeared.

'Did you know that Serwin was taken over by the disaster?'

She carefully looked at its face. Serwin's face was hidden by black smoke. Still, she could feel it was smiling.

'They found out the disaster is the Emperor. Does this happen often? They seem to be familiar and know how to respond.'

Amelie first decided to follow Ethan's words. Looking at their familiar att.i.tudes, there seemed to be a solution.

'Renee?'

Renee was seen among the knights. Renee, who met the knights under the auspices of the house, had been forced to lead the way. She found Amelie in danger and wanted to run to her sister right away, but she was watching the situation and biting her lips hard because if she moved wrong she could make it more dangerous.

The disaster followed Amelie's gaze to the knights and raised its arms to point at Renee.

[Look carefully]

Then, black smoke billowed toward them.

“Renee, get away!”

Amelie shouted, but the knights only turned to the air. Perhaps there was no black smoke in their eyes.

'It's too late to avoid it!'

Amelie used her wind shroud to create a huge barrier in front of them. The black smoke was blocked by the barrier and made a roar. Only then did Renee notice that there was something invisible. But she didn't have time to think about it. It was because Serwin was seen approaching Amelie. She screamed.

From the beginning, the disaster was aiming for Amelie and pretended to attack Renee. To get rid of the bad wind.

The operation was successful, and the disaster kicked Amelie over, her legs collapsing and her head on the ground.

“Ugh!”

She was dragged away by the disaster. It hurt as if her blood was going to explode from her. However, the black mucus dripping from the head was more horrifying than the pain. The mucus crawled over Amelie's skin and fell onto her body on her neck. The mucus wrapped Amelie's arms and legs.

“Ugh—”

[Try it again. It's fun]

The disaster shook Amelie's body as if it was mocking her.

Amelie glared at the disaster. With her arms and legs tied up, her eyes were the only things she could move freely.

'Knowing that I can't do it…!'

Amelie was still a novice in the ways of magic. It is hard to use more than one magical effect at a time. If she tried to attack the disaster the wind shroud protecting Renee and the knights was likely to disappear. The disaster was still cleverly sending black smoke towards Renee. The moment the wind shroud disappears, he will attack them.

'The knights may not know what's happening, but I must protect Renee.'

Renee was part of her precious family that she only recently got. She couldn't give up easily.

“Amelie! Get this wind out of here! I'll save you now!”

“Don't come!”

The knights caught Renee who was attempting to run to Amelie. Renee resisted with tears in her eyes, but the emperor's knights were far stronger than her.

'Amelie, please—!'

Renee felt a keen sense of helplessness.

The disaster stroked Amelie's face while holding her hair with one hand. It's rough touch messed up her hair.

[The Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time. desperately]

“S-so?”

[When the Emperor realizes that he has killed you with his own hands, how will he look?]

It gave an odd smile.

[I want to taste that despair.]

Amelie got gooseb.u.mps.

It was genuinely pleased with Serwin's despair.

'We need to get out of here. We'll all die at this rate.'

The intense instinct for survival awakened her desperation.

'I can't beat you with my strength. I need magic.'

However using magic to attack would mean the magic used to protect Renee and the knights was likely to disappear. While agonizing, Amelie made eye contact with Ethan. He pointed at the black smoke and shook his sword. The black smoke was gray and blurry like an afterimage.

'Can we stop the smoke with the sword? Then magic—'

“Tk!”

At that moment, the disaster grabbed her by the neck. Compared to its hands, Amelie's neck looked thin and fragile. Its hands began to tighten around Amelie's neck viciously.

“Tk!”

“Ugh—”

Amelie grabbed it by the wrist and struggled.

'M-magic—!'

Amelie didn't give up. She raised a gale of wind with all her might. A long wind blew. The black mucus came off her body. However, the disaster did not budge. Only the strength of its hands had weakened for a while.

He started strangling again. Amelie struggled in pain. She pushed its body and grabbed at its hand, but its strength was too strong that it remained unfazed. She was being strangled.

She can't breath. And her throat ached.

'Is this how I'm going to die—?'

She closed her eyes reflexively and tears ran through her cheeks. But then, a s.h.i.+ft took place.

The black wrist that she was holding began to disappear little by little. Like smoke scattered in the wind, the black mucus surrounding Serwin's body began to gradually disappear.

[Ugh,  what is this—!]

The disaster threw Amelie down.

'I don't know what's going on!'

Amelie shrieked inwardly and held Serwin's arm. She judged that if she called out to Serwin he would help her. And Amelie's judgment was correct.

[Arrgggggh]

The disaster howled.

'No way!'

Amelie took courage and reached out her hand. Her hand damaged the black mucus where she touched and reached the Emperor's head. She stroked him on the head carefully.

Her touch revealed his dark hair and eyes. Black eyes stared at her as if trying to stab her to death.

[Argh, you—!]

“Ugh!”

Amelie held onto Serwin's shoulder and grabbed him by the head and pet him. Then all the black things surrounding Serwin's body disappeared. As she caressed his head again, Serwin's eyes began to change.

It was a mysterious sight to behold. In Serwin's eyes, the black thing disappeared like smoke, and a brilliant golden color began to return.

The golden eyes stared at Amelie. Amelie saw his eyes and realized. Serwin had returned and the crisis was over.

“Ha…”

Amelie sighed and sat on the floor. She felt as if her legs had lost strength. As soon as Serwin came to his senses, he collapsed helplessly toward her. She hugged him in surprise. When she patted him on the back, he slowly relaxed. It was already late into the night.